Bake Sale

by Sara Varon
Have you met this author/illustrator yet?   There is just one word that I think of to describe her books - fun!  Her previous works include Robot Dreams and Chicken and Cat.  Bake Sale is her latest graphic novel.  The illustrations are so simple, but when it comes to anthropomorphizing food, no one does it better.  Cupcake is, of course, a baker.  He dreams of flying to Turkey and meeting his ideal, Turkish Delight, the greatest pastry chef in the world.  Cupcake's good friend Eggplant has a plan that involves Cupcake quitting the band and selling as many baked goods as possible, but not before they stop at the local coffee shop for something to eat.  There is just something about seeing a cupcake eat a grilled cheese and fries that makes you want to smile.  This is a cozy friendship story with pictures and recipes. 

Recommended for grades 4-8
Reviewed by Koren Power 

Bone: Out from Boneville

by Jeff Smith
Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone may be cousins but they couldn't be three more different people. Phoney Bone's the crafty one with the get-rich schemes that always lead to trouble - like getting run out of Boneville and getting lost in the desert wilderness. Smiley Bone's the not-so-bright one, happy to help his cousins in any way possible, but short on ideas of his own. Fone Bone's the one who gets everybody out of trouble, but even he doesn't know where they are now. Things are not looking good and when the horde of locusts comes through, they're looking even worse because now the three Bone cousins have been separated and Fone is on his own. All he has is the strange map that Smiley found that leads him to a valley where things get stranger and stranger. First, a dragon appears and disappears in the middle of the night. Then, Fone meets two bugs - one tiny, one giant; one friendly, one a little less so. Fone doesn't really hit rock bottom though until he meets the stupid, stupid rat creatures that seem to be out to capture and eat him. Then Thorn arrives and things start looking up because Thorn is a beautiful girl who brings Fone home to meet Gran'ma Ben who can help him get back to Boneville, once he's found his cousins of course. It turns out this is just the beginning of Fone Bone's adventures though - something very mysterious is happening in the valley and the Bone cousins and Thorn seem to be caught smack dab in the middle of it. The Bone series continues in eight more volumes and once you read this first volume, you won't want to wait to read the rest!

Recommended for grades 3 and up
Reviewed by Jennifer Baker

Kit Feeny On the Move

by Michael Townsend
It is weird and pointless and totally "LAME-TASTIC," so of course I like it. Kit Feeny is being marketed as a Baby Mouse series for boys, but though they are both fun graphic series, there is a lot of quirky humor here that you do not find in Baby Mouse. In this first book, Kit has to move away from his best friend, Arnold. His parents are not happy with the idea of sneaking Arnold on to the moving truck, so Kit, who decides against becoming a lonesome hobo, is forced to find a replacement friend. He creates an Arnold test including questions like, "Do you enjoy making zombie sock puppets?" or "Raise your hand if you like ninja fishing." This new graphic series is more fun than a thousand bouncy balls.

Recommended for Grades 3-7
Reviewed by Koren Power

The Dodgeball Chronicles

by Frank Cammuso
Part of the Knights of the Lunch Table series
Arthur King, or Wart Boy, as his sister calls him, is just starting a new school, Camelot Middle. He has a mystical teacher/faculty advisor Mr. Merlyn who predicts "Artie" will be tested in ways he has never imagined.

Artie has the heart made up of good stuff when he is able to open the magical locker, the one that did not open for ages. He is the chosen one, ready to be challenged by wicked Principal/Queen Mrs. Dagger and wicked bully big Joe Roman with his horde. Artie bands together with his knights of the detention lunch table to face off in a Death by Dodgeball contest.

A rollicking, fun story.

Recommended for grades 3-7
Reviewed by Joe Drinka

Rapunzel's Revenge

by Shannon and Dean Hale
You may think you know the story of Rapunzel, but you've never heard or seen it this way before. Rapunzel spends her early childhood as a pampered, but lonely, princess with her only friends being the guards of Mother Gothel's luxurious, high-walled compound. It's Rapunzel's curiosity about the world outside that lands her in a tree in a swamp with abundant growth magic that transfers itself to her hair as well. As the years pass, Rapunzel grows evermore frustrated and bored – you would be too if hair-inspired activities like jumping rope and lasso practice were your only entertainment possibilities. When Rapunzel finally escapes (forget the prince - she gets herself out), she's determined to wrest control of the land from Mother Gothel and to rescue her true mother from back-breaking work in the mines. As Rapunzel explores the outside world she gains an ally in Jack (yes, that Jack) and discovers that all her hair works mighty fine as both lasso and whip! It's a long, obstacle-filled road back to Mother Gothel's compound and Rapunzel's going to need all her courage and wits just to make it there. The Old West twist to the cartoon-like illustrations and story adds to the fun, and don't forget to keep an eye out for the many other fairy tale characters Rapunzel encounters on her journey of justice! Fantasy, adventure, humor, even a hint of romance - Rapunzel's Revenge has something for everyone and since it's a graphic novel, it's a quick read too!

Recommended for grades 4 and up
Reviewed by Jennifer Baker

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman
adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell
Coraline Jones and her parents just moved into a very old house, and Coraline is bored.  Her parents are too busy to pay any attention to her, and her neighbors, who are strange to say the least, give her weird advice and strange warnings.  While exploring, Coraline comes across a door in the sitting room.  When she opens it, sometimes she sees a brick wall, but sometimes she sees "the other world," a world much like her own in design, but better and more exciting.  However, she also finds she has an "other" mother and father, creepy people with button eyes who would love to keep Coraline as their own child and entertain her and pay attention to her like she wished her real parents would do.  When the "other" mother kidnaps her parents and locks Coraline into the "other" world, Coraline must play the ultimate game to save herself and her parents and return home.

The graphic novel adaptation of the novel is equal parts creepy and entertaining.  The vibrant illustrations make you feel as if you too have walked through the door in the sitting room.  If you're looking for a scary story, pick up either the book or this graphic novel adaptation... and then be happy you only have one mother.

Recommended for gardes 5-10
Reviewed by Sara Murray

Robot Dreams

by Sara Varon
In this wordless graphic novel, two friends, Dog and Robot make a terrible mistake on their visit to the beach: the tin Robot goes swimming and ends up rusted in place on his beach towel. Dog reluctantly leaves his friend, but with his dreams haunted by Robot, Dog soon attempts a repair and rescue trip only to discover that the beach is closed for the year. Poor Dog can see his friend through the fence, but he can't get to him and Robot doesn't even know Dog is there. Over the next year both friends try to deal with their separation - Robot dreams of rescue and life off the beach while Dog attempts to make new friends to fill the void left by Robot. Each waits for the beach to reopen, but will they get to have the reunion they hope for? Read this bittersweet story of friendship, forgiveness, and life lessons learned to find out!

Recommended for grades 3 and up
Reviewed by Jennifer Baker